DECEMBER 2016 Scripture Meditations

12.1.16       Daniel 12:3 MSG

‘Men and women who have lived wisely and well will shine brilliantly, like the cloudless, star-strewn night skies. And those who put others on the right path to life will glow like stars forever.

          I find it a God-Moment that the scriptures for the past two days have been about God-Light, stars, and letting our light shine.  Annika’s confirmation present arrived in the mail the day before with her sermonette on finding the LIGHT, and her poster illustrating the light.  It has only served to reinforce the message!  And stars are always fun to draw!

          I designed the prayer image a little differently today, but in coloring the words seemed to stand out more than usual! 

God…help me to shine your light in our world of darkness.  Amen.   

12.2.16       Psalm 35:23 GNT
 Rouse yourself, O Lord, and defend me;
    rise up, my God, and plead my cause.

          Poor David!  He constantly sang his songs of lament and pleas for help!  But the good news is that David KNEW where his help came from – from the ONE God.  Does God defend us today?  Probably in more subtle ways that we can ever imagine.  We don’t need to rouse God however, we more likely need to rouse our recognition of God at work! 

Thank you, God, for your behind-the-scenes action as my defender.  Amen.  

12.3.16       Colossians 1:13 GNT

He rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us safe into the kingdom of his dear Son..

          Rescued.  Saved from the dark.  Safe in the arms of Jesus.  Once, and over and over again.  Everytime we need it and everytime we perhaps don’t deserve it.  There is a baptism song with the lines, “we are rescued, we are saved…”  There is a Christmas card I remember from years ago with the lines ‘Out of Darkness Into Light’.  Throw me the life-saver, God, and hopefully I’ll be wise enough to grab on! 

Thank you, God, for my rescue through Christ.  Amen.   

12.4.16       Matthew 5:14 MSG

You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world.

     

     I have been waiting eagerly all week for today’s passage, because I love Eugene Peterson’s translation for this passage: God-colors!  It brings to mind my love of color, tie-dye, tolerance for diversity, rainbows, and beauty all into one!  God-Colors isn’t just God-Light, it is God in ALL God’s many forms and beings.  It reminds us that to ‘shine with the light’ doesn’t have to be just one form or way, but by using our individual gifts and creativity. 

Let my light shine, Lord, with the hues you have gifted to me.  Amen. 

12.5.16       Ephesians 5:4 Voice 

Don’t swear or spurt nonsense. Don’t make harsh jokes or clown around. Make proper use of your words, and offer them thankfully in praise.  (Make Thanksgiving your dialect.  MSG)

          “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”  But words CAN and DO hurt.  Often we don’t even realize the pain of our words, especially those tossed casually or thoughtlessly without regard.  Our sarcasm, our ‘just kidding’ or jokes, our gossip – all can be sources of pain.  I like the way The Message ends the passage:  Make Thanksgiving your dialect.  Is my dialect one that builds others up rather than down?

Guard my lips, O God, and let praise and encouragement flow freely.  Amen.  

12.6.16       John 8:12 MSG

Jesus once again addressed them: “I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness.

          “I am the Light of the World” Jesus said.  There is no darkness if we keep our focus on that Light.  But notice….it is light for the WORLD.  Not just one part of the world, not just for the good people or the successful people.  The Light is available for ALL!  To have the light simply means turning to face the light and following. 

God of Light…Thank you for your presence.  Amen. 

12.7.16       1 Peter 2:9 Voice

But you are a chosen people, set aside to be a royal order of priests, a holy nation, God’s own; so that you may proclaim the wondrous acts of the One who called you out of inky darkness into shimmering light.

          This is a passage of scripture that was part of the ‘Holy’ Lenten series!  I remember the ‘called to be a holy nation’.  But why are we chosen? To PROCLAIM!  To share the good news of a world in light rather than dark.  And this verse gets really descriptive with INKY darkness and SHIMMERING light.  Shimmering light implies light that is active and moving.  Proclaiming and serving are actions of our faith, results of our Life in the Light. 

God of Light…you call us to action in spreading light to the dark corners. Amen.  

12.8.16       Psalm 112:4  GNT

Light shines in the darkness for good people,
    for those who are merciful, kind, and just.

         I like to think that the Light shines and is available for those who struggle or don’t believe, for those who aren’t just or merciful or ‘good’.  But some allow their sins to cover up the Light, they allow their lack of faith to smother the Light.  Hence, they live in the darkness.  Goodness, or acts of mercy and kindness, brings in the Light. The important point is that the Light is available and waiting for ALL.

God of Light…may each act of kindness brighten the light of your love. Amen.   

12.9.16       John 3:20-21 MSG/GNT

 God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. They do not want their evil deeds to be shown up.

          People ran from the light.  They didn’t want their sins exposed.  For the light does reveal things that can hide in the dark.  But the light also brings love and joy, and that is worth the pain of having our unworthiness shown.  Do I run?  Do I allow the dark to cover up my pain?  Or am I living in the light.

God of Light….Help me to live in the light openly.  Amen. 

12.10.16     2 Corinthians 6:14 GNT

Do not try to work together as equals with unbelievers, for it cannot be done. How can right and wrong be partners? How can light and darkness live together?

          At first glance, my impression of this passage is…WAIT!  Jesus mingled with the sinners all the time.  But there is a difference between walking among-serving-helping and partnering.  The key word here is equals.  It is difficult for a marriage to truly work when both partners don’t have similar goals and beliefs. Can it be done?  Perhaps with plenty of God-Intervention!  But Paul is warning the Corinthians about establishing equal relationships with non-believers. 

          However, I look at the last line – How can light and darkness live together? – It sounds so poetic.  Yet, tomorrow’s verse reputes it! The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out.  God-Light is stronger and more powerful than the darkness! 

          Saturday morning and I’m rambling. The light of the snow has been falling, covering up the drab and brown vestiges of fall.  It is beautiful outside and the sidewalks are calling to me! 

God of Light…May I partner with your Light and Love.  Amen.  

12.11.16     John 1:5 GNT

 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out.

          There is light in the darkness.  Jesus.  You. Me.  We all hold the Light of God’s Love.  We all have a responsibility to shine, to share that light.  No matter how dark the circumstances, no matter how dismal or threatening the situation – God’s Light can and will prevail….but only if we all do our part and let our flame burn.  Today the kids are singing ‘This Little Light of Mine I’m Gonna Let It Shine’.  The song is old, but the message holds firm. 

God of Light….I’m gonna let it shine.  Amen.  

12.12.16     Psalm 69:18 MSG

Come close, God; get me out of here.
Rescue me from this deathtrap.

          Once again, the ‘come closer, God' request.  God is closer than we think!(to quote the title of John Ortberg’s book!) We are the ones with the problem!  Perhaps the psalmist should have written, ‘Help me acknowledge your presence, God, because then I might not be in this mess!’   OR ‘God, I haven’t been listening to you very well, but I’m listening now!  Help!’  That means the focus is on OUR lack of acknowledgment to God.  It just might make the difference. 

Help me to come close to your abiding Love, O God.  Amen.  

12.13.16     Deuteronomy 24:19 Voice

When you’re harvesting your field, if you forget a sheaf, don’t go back out into the field to get it. Let the foreigners, orphans, and widows take it.

          We don’t NEED everything last thing we have been given.  We have been blessed abundantly so we can GIVE abundantly.  Hoarders end up very unhappy people, very self-centered people.  I am enjoying immensely our sense of retirement because we ARE blessed, and can give however we wish – both in terms of time and money.  And perhaps, we don’t need to leave just the ‘gleanings’ of the field to the less fortunate.  Perhaps, it can be our best as well, because in so doing, we are giving our BEST to God. 

God of abundant gifts, when I harvest my fields of blessings, may I generously return a portion in your name.  Amen.  

12.14.16     Psalm 69:30 GNT

I will praise God with a song;
    I will proclaim his greatness by giving him thanks.

          Praise God with song!  Perhaps I can practice tonight with Sabine and Katya for Sunday….in song!!  Hallelujah!  Otherwise, it shall be a snowy song day! 

May my voice always erupt in a song of praise to you, O God.  Amen. 

12.15.16     Hebrews 2:17 Voice

He had to become as human as His sisters and brothers so that when the time came, He could become a merciful and faithful high priest of God, called to reconcile a sinful people.

          God became human.  He came to us in a form we could recognize and to which we could relate.  He became one of us with feelings, hurts and pains, joys and sorrows.  God in Jesus remained human right up through the crucifixion, suffering and dying.  For us.  For you and for me.  Because of this, how can we ever say that God is distant and far away? 

          My niece just had a baby.  When I think of little Danielle, I see innocence and vulnerability.  That’s how God came to us – as a tiny, needful baby.  Wow. 

God of all creation….thank you for appearing in a way we could all understand.  Amen.  

12.16.16     Hebrew 2:18 Voice

Since He has also been tested by suffering, He can help us when we are tested.

          Jesus understands suffering.  Suffering as a human feels suffering.  Somehow, knowing this and knowing how the story all plays out makes our complaints and trials a little less major.  If we use Jesus as our guide, our comfort, we can endure just about anything.  Testing can be painful, but ultimately we usually grow in faith and in our relationship with God through it. 

          I am thinking of all my friends with cancer at this moment.  Cancer brings sufferings.  Cancer tests us.  But how people respond to that testing is somewhat different based on their relationship with the Lord.  I find those friends that lean on God happier and more content (if that can be used with cancer?) than those who are fighting the disease and God.  What part do I have in serving as God’s hands and feet in relieving the suffering of others?

Keep my faith strong and my focus on you, God, when trials come my way.  Amen.

12.17.16     Psalm 69:5-6 GNT

My sins, O God, are not hidden from you;
    you know how foolish I have been.

          Nothing is hidden from God.  Nothing.  We think we can hide, but we can not.  God knows our faults, but God celebrates our blessings.  God knows us inside and out, probably better than we know ourselves.  God knows what is best for us when we do not.  Might God be disappointed sometimes with our foolish decisions? Absolutely, but that doesn’t mean God loves us any less. 

I bare my soul to you, O God, knowing nothing is hidden.  Amen.  

12.18.16     Galatians 1:3-4 Voice

May the grace and peace of God the Father and the Lord Jesus the Anointed live in you;

          Live in you.  This is the only translation of the three I check that used this phrase.  The rest blessed us, but this version demands action on our part as well.  If something is alive in us, results should happen, our actions should reveal that life.  This scripture is part of Peter’s introduction to the people of Galatia.

Indwelling God, may my daily thoughts and deeds reveal your presence alive in me.  Amen.   

12.19.16     Galatians 4:4-5 GNT

But when the right time finally came, God sent his own Son. He came as the son of a human mother and lived under the Jewish Law, to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might become God's children.

          I think of my sons.  Would I be willing, if God, to sacrifice one of them for the sake of my creation?  Would I send Jed to a foreign planet, knowing he would be killed, if it would redeem that world?  Would I sacrifice Luke to a non-receptive land to disrupt and preach love?  What about all the moms and dads that send their sons and daughters off to war?  I love my boys.  Not sure I could do it.

Granted, our relationships here on earth are on a very human level, but that’s the level to which God came in order than we could understand.  That’s the very personal way God came – as one of us. So we might become children of God as well. 

Thank you, God, for the incredible gift of Jesus. Amen.   

12.20.16     Matthew 2:6 MSG

It’s you, Bethlehem, in Judah’s land,
    no longer bringing up the rear.
From you will come the leader
    who will shepherd-rule my people, my Israel.”

          Bethlehem.  A sleepy little town on the outskirts of Jerusalem.  Jesus.  An illegitimate baby born to insignificant parents – outsiders.  Refugees seeking shelter.  The Bible can go on and on listing the times that God has chosen the lowly to do God’s work.  When we dismiss those we perceive to be ‘below us’, are we missing the chance to see God in them?  Yes. 

          As for ourselves, when we think we aren’t ‘smart enough, good enough, humble enough, rich enough’ or whatever else ‘enough’, we can think twice.  That isn’t how God tends to work.  He will seek those without enough and provide.  That tiny baby did ok.  The little town of Bethlehem did ok as well.  And so can we. 

From the lowly, God, you build your Kingdom of Heaven.  Amen. 

12.21.16      Romans 15:12 GNT

And again, Isaiah says,
“A descendant of Jesse will appear;
    he will come to rule the Gentiles,
    and they will put their hope in him.”

          When I read all the scripture of prophecy in the Old Testament, it affirms two things: 1. God has a plan; a very old and long range plan; and  2. God works on a very expansive time frame; much different from the seconds and minutes of human time.   For God to decree throughout the prophets that a son of Jesse would come to rule hundreds of years later, God must have already known that the people would falter, they would NEED such an appearance as Christ.  And God knew how and when he would execute such plan.  Perhaps God time takes so long because God is working through ordinary, flawed people.  We don’t always react and respond the way God hopes.  How often does God have to resort to Plan B, or Plan C??  Makes you wonder! 

Knowing you act in the greatest of love, God, we delight to watch your plans unfold.  Amen.  

12.22.16      1 Timothy 6:18 GNT

Command them [the wealthy] to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and willing to share with others.

          Those who have must share generous with those who do not.  I like the phrase to be rich in good works, to be rich in kindness, to be rich in generosity.  One of the blessings of abundance is the ability to share.  Good thoughts around this Season of Sharing, a season of giving gifts.  Are we giving to just others with abundance also, or are we sharing with those who can really use the help?

God of blessings….may we be rich in our generosity.  Amen.   

12.23.16      John 1:1  Voice

Before time itself was measured, the Voice was speaking.  The Voice was and is God. 

          This Gospel begins, not with the birth of Jesus, but the beginning of time, the Creation story, the stirrings of God in our midst.  Most Bible versions translate this as ‘the Word’.  I found the description at the beginning of this chapter from the VOICE translation very interesting:

John’s use of logos is unique and has often been rendered as “Word.” While this is a useful translation, even a casual understanding demonstrates that “Word” reflects only part of its meaning. Most readers will interpret “word” as a unit of language—a combination of sounds generally spoken but also written—that carries meaning. To understand what John means, readers need something more than their cultural understanding of “word”; they need a new way of thinking about it. This is why we have chosen to offer another rendering, an interpretive, poetic translation, of what may be one of the most theologically loaded words in Scripture.

Since logos essentially refers to the act of speaking or bringing thoughts to expression, we have decided to use the word “voice” to capture that reality. John declares that truth has culminated in the person of Jesus. No single word captures the complete meaning of logos, but “voice” has a number of advantages. 

First, “voice” manifests the act of speaking. Voice is that which is spoken and that which is heard; it comes on both sides of any communication event, bridging the gap between sender and receiver. John intends that in Jesus God is speaking and revealing Himself to the world. 

Second, a voice is distinct and personal. We can distinguish people from one another simply by their voices. In John 10 Jesus describes the fact that the sheep hear the voice of the shepherd when he calls and they follow, but they refuse to follow a stranger because they do not know his voice (John 10:1-5). John desires that we know Jesus as the Son of God and believe in Him personally as the Good Shepherd.

     Third, “voice” is dynamic in that it reflects the robust and powerful activity of a living God. It is historical in that any act of speaking comes to expression and takes place in the real world as a “voice” calling, demanding a response. It challenges any notion that the Christian faith can be reduced to rules, propositions, or doctrines that can be merely believed or dismissed and not lived out in our lives. Since in Jesus God is speaking and revealing Himself to the world, and since in Jesus we hear the Voice of God, then this new reality changes everything so we, too, must change.  (The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.)

God, may we listen for and respond to your VOICE.  Amen.  

12.24.16      John 3:16 GNT

For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.

     

     This must be the most quoted verse of New Testament scripture, perhaps all scripture.  It is the essence of the Bible:  God loves.  God loves us deeply and completely.  Everything God does is for the sake of love.  How, in this Christmas season of love and sharing, can we reflect that same love for each other?  A love without barriers, restrictions, or parameters.  Boundless, unconditional love.  God love. 

May our gratitude be as boundless as your love, O God.  Amen.  

12.25.16      John 1:14 MSG

The Word became flesh and blood,
    and moved into the neighborhood.
We saw the glory with our own eyes,
    the one-of-a-kind glory,
    like Father, like Son glory.

          God has moved into the neighborhood.  God next door, one with us, one in us.  God-Glory working with us, taking out the trash with us, living and breathing.  Merry Christmas! 

Thank you, God, for coming to us in such a real manner.  Amen.  

12.26.16      John 3:17 MSG

God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.

          God wants us to live in relationship with God.  God loves us and while love disciplines, love ultimately simply wants to love.  Love wants what is best and full and complete.  And there we are – wrapped in a love that desperately wants the wrongs righted, sins forgiven, and justice and equality to rule.  No finger pointing, simply justice. 

Teach us, O God, how to make things right in our troubled world.  Use us.  Amen.  

12.27.16      2 Corinthians 9:10 MSG

 [God] gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.

          God gives so we can give.  Our giving enriches our lives beyond measure in ways we don’t always realize at the time.  We can give of our material wealth, but we can also give of our time and our talents.  We can give prayers and praise.  We can give away with the confidence and trust that God will continue to provide. (This is the hard part…that trusting part!)  What might I give away today?

May I give abundantly, God, with the trust that you will provide.  Amen.  

12.28.16      Romans 16:25, 27 GNT

Let us give glory to God!  …. To the only God, who alone is all-wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever! Amen.

          Glory to God!  Glory through Jesus Christ!  May we NEVER forget from where our blessings come.  May we remember to give thanks and praise where due.  God works in such mysterious and inconceivable ways….all we can do is give glory in amazement and wonder. 

All praise and glory to the God of all creation!  Amen.

12.29.16      James 3:16 MSG

Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.

          My first thought when I read this scripture was that it sounds like what happened to the USA during the recent elections.  Everyone at each other’s throat, trying to glorify or nullify shortcomings to look better than the other.  In actuality, neither was a great choice.  But the nation has spoken and we can only hope that the good in people will pull together rather than tear apart. 

God of unity and love, may we build one another up in compassion and service.  Amen.  

12.30.16      Isaiah 42:9 (GNT and Voice)

 Look here, what’s done is done and gone.
        The now is new, and there’s hope in the not-yet.
    I will tell you what’s to come, even before the events are brand-new.

     

     The now is new and there’s hope.  What a great thought to begin each day.  What’s done is done and gone, we begin again with hope and assurance that God is with us and at work in and through us.  The now is new.  There is a great deal of optimism in that short phrase.  Perhaps I need to take this attitude with our new government!  I shall continue to pray for our new leadership, not with the ‘praying for my enemies’ concept, but with the ‘now is new’ and HOPE!!  Good thoughts to end the year! 

God of Hope…. May we greet each day with a fresh sense of anticipation.  Amen.  

12.31.16      Revelation 1:8 Voice

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the very beginning and the very end, the One who is, the One who was, and the One who is coming: the All Powerful.

          Tonight is the Omega of 2016 with the Alpha of 2017 arriving at midnight.  The end of one year and the beginning of the next.  Yet we have no such repeating Alpha and Omega with God’s time.  God IS.  Beginning, Ending, and In-Between.  God WAS, IS, and WILL BE.  No doubts about it.  The only real question is for us as humanity:  Do we honor, respect, and acknowledge the God present and at work in our world?  Do we have a relationship with our God? 

          It is a time for new resolutions and changes perhaps in how we live our lives.  Where does God fit into those resolutions? 

Alpha-Omega God,…May I begin and end each day of the new year in conversation with you.  Amen.